Mercy pulls away from Berkley in regional

FARMINGTON – Lisa Wassenberg was glad Berkley went up against Farmington Mercy in Tuesday’s Class A Regional volleyball match played at Farmington. It just wasn’t the results she hoped for.

“They were a tougher team; and I’m glad we played them because that made us meet the challenge,” said Wassenberg, a senior defensive specialist, after Mercy bounced the Bears 25-5, 25-10, 25-5.

“I think we played well; a lot of long volleys” said Wassenberg, who along with seniors Maddie Oliver and Blair Birnie led the Bears to a winning season. “It was a fun year.”

The Marlins improved to 48-11 and will play Livonia Stevenson at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Farmington. Stevenson defeated Detroit Cass Tech in the other regional game played Tuesday.

Advertisement

“They’re a great team,” Berkley coach Liz Primeau said of Mercy. “We tried to put up a fight. We still accomplished our goals. We won districts and made it here.”

Berkley, which finished second in the Oakland Activities Blue Division, defeated Royal Oak on Friday to advance to Tuesday’s regionals. But while the Bears won the long volleys against Royal Oak, on Tuesday against Mercy it was a different story.

“This was my best season; the best group of girls I’ve had,” Primeau said. “All around it was a great season.”

The Bears never led on Tuesday. Four straight service points from Wassenberg cut the Marlins lead to 21-10 in the second game, but the night belonged to Mercy, a private all-girls school.

Still, Primeau said she will count on a bevy of returning players who she hopes will continue to lead the Bears volleyball program. She said Danielle Stachnik, a junior middle blocker, will return along with junior outside hitters Alexis Northcross and Lenie Siegel, and sophomore middle Grace Hammerle, to name a few.

Also, the Bears will move up to the OAA White Division next season.

“Just keep trying to build,” Primeau said. “Stay competitive.”

Mercy coach Loretta Vogel, meanwhile, said the Marlins “served well” and “passed well” in Tuesday’s victory over the Bears.

“I’m absorbing all this right now,” Vogel said Tuesday. “I had a chance to watch Livonia Stevenson (in the first game against Cass Tech) and that makes me feel a lot better about our next game.”

The Marlins lost the Catholic League championship game this season to Birmingham Marian. But while the Marlins are still alive in the playoffs, Marian lost in the districts to Birmingham Seaholm.

“We’ve been a puzzle,” Vogel said. “We had a couple girls’ injured; just part of the puzzle.”

Two years ago Mercy found itself in the state championship game, but last year the Marlins lost in the regional finals.